Jenison Special Olympian wins gold medal at World Winter Games

Amy Kaptein, 27, of Jenison, stands on the podium and celebrates after winning a gold medal Saturday, Feb. 2, in the 50-meter cross country ski race at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.Courtesy

The day after her race was postponed by rain, Amy Kaptein is a gold medalist.

Kaptein, 27, who lives in Jenison, won a gold medal Saturday, Feb. 2, in the 50-meter cross country ski race at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Kaptein's gold was the first won by a member of Team USA 2013 in nordic skiing. Neither she nor her family could be immediately reached in South Korea on Saturday, but leaders of Special Olympics of Michigan confirmed the gold medal glory.

“Yes, Amy won a gold medal,” said Kimberly Purdy, chief marketing and development officer for Special Olympics Michigan. “It wasn't the first gold for Special Olympics Team USA, but she was the first athlete competing in cross country skiing to get a gold medal.”

Team USA consists of 153 athletes competing at six venues in the South Korean cities of PyeongChang and Gangneung. The competition, which features more than 2,300 athletes from 110 countries, is scheduled to run through Tuesday, Feb. 5.